Wire-rope socket for well-drilling tools.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903 E. DOUBLE 65F. J. KARTEN.

WIRE ROPE SOCKET FOR WELL DRILLING TOOLS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27,1902.

N0 MODEL.

DVD/wuss 4 W wg UNITED STATES fatented May 12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE- EDWARD DOUBLE AND FRANK J. KARTEN, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-ROPE SOCKET ,FOR WELL-DRILLING Toots.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,759, dated May 12,1903.

Application filed March 27, 1902. Serial No. 100,304:- (No modeld I Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD DOUBLE and invented a new and usefulWire-Rope Socket.

for Well-Drilling Tools,"0f which the following is a specification. I

An object of this invention is to avoid the crystallization andconsequent breaking of wire cables at the top of well-drilling tools.

A further object is to provide a superior loose joint to allow the toolto be turned by the twisting and untwisting of the wire cable in theoperation of drilling and to allow lateral movement of the roperelativeto the tool and to protect the rope from engagement with thetool, and thereby avoid bending the rope at either the tool or the jointmember to which the rope is fastened. 1

This invention comprises the combination, with a wire cable and awell-drilling tool, of

a loose limited universal joint which has a Fig. III is asection on lineIII III, Fig. I, omit ting the joint member and showing the socket inthe other member. Fig. IV is a perspective View of the joint memberwhich forms the ball of the ball-and-socket joint bywhich the v rope isconnected with the tool.

shown in Fig. I, and the perforation 6 thereof may be downwardlyflaring, and the wire rope may be fastened in said downwardly-flaringperforation by spreading the strands thereof and filling the space withmolten metal in the ordinary way of securing ropes. 7 designates a wayin the member 1 below the perforation 3 therein, and 8 designateslateral openings from said way, the purpose being to allow the jointmember 4 to move up and down freely in response to the relativemovements of the wire rope and the tool 9 carried thereby, the purposeof the lateral openings 8 being to allow the earthy matter which mayaccumulate in the way 7 ,to be forced out of said way at the downwardmovement of the joint member. The joint member 4 is elongated verticallyand may be semispherical or partially globular at its upper end and ofreduced diameter at its lower end, so that the upper end of the jointmay, together with the inverted socket 2, form a ball-and-socket jointto allow the rope to play to a limited extent freely in every directionwithout bending the rope at the joint or on the end of the tool. Thedownward taper of the joint member 4 is designed -to wedge out thesediment or mud which may collect in the way 7 below the top of themember 1, which carries the tool. The elongation is designed to engagethe walls of the Way to prevent any such a canting of the member l aswould allow the rope to come againstthe walls of the perforation 3thatis to say, the joint member 4, constructed as shown, has a free rotarymotion around its vertical axis and a limited rotary motion or wagglelaterally of said vertical axis/and a limited longitudinal motion, sothat the rope will play freely up and down and the tool and rope mayrotate freely relatively to each other; but when the tool rests upon thebottom of the hole and cants over the elongated joint member 4 willengage the walls of the way 7 before the rope 5 will come intosufficient contact with the upper end of the tool to cause any damage tothe rope by such contact.

The tool-carrying member 1 may be most easily constructed in tubularform bored out from the bottom and the tube closed below the lateralopenings 8 by a plug 10,- fitted in the tube and secured by a cross-pin11.

In practical operation on the downstroke when the tool 9 impinges uponthe earth the wire rope will slack and play downward through theperforation 3 and will then be free to untwist or rewind, as the casemay be. Then on the upstroke the joint member will come into the socket2 and will be freeto adjust itself in accordance with the strainrelative to the tool-carrying member.

On the downstroke any sediment which may be in the way or tube will beprevented by the plug from being forced downward and will be squeezedout through the lateral openings by the downward movement of the jointmember.

We have shown in the drawings the best form in which we contemplatecarrying out our invention; but we do not limit the invention to theparticular form set forth, and any form of thejoint which will allow theattached end of the rope to play endwise and turn freely relative to thetool and to weave from side to side without engaging the walls of theperforation may be employed without departing from the broad spirit ofthe invention.

\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a well-drilling tool, the combination of a member having aninverted socket and a perforation extending up from said socket; anelongated perforated joint member having a semispherical portion toenter said socket; and a rope in the perforation of said joint memberand extending through the perforation of the socketed member and beingof less diameter than such perforation; said elongated portion beingarranged to engage the socketed member and to hold the rope out ofcontact with the same.

2. In a well-drilling tool, the combination of a member having aninverted socket and a perforation extending up from said socket and away below said socket; a perforated joint member in said way, the upperend of which joint member forms a universal joint with said socketedmember and the lower foration of the socketed member and being of lessdiameter than such perforation and held out of contact with the wallsthereby by the joint member.

3. In a well-drilling tool, the combination of a member having aperforated top and below such perforation a way; an elongated jointmember in said way forming a universal joint with the top of saidfirst-mentioned member and having a limited lateral movement therein;and a rope fastened to the joint member and extending through theperforation in the first-named member and being held by the joint memberout of contact with the walls of such perforation.

4. In a Well-drilling tool, the combination of a member having aperforated concave top and a way below said perforation and lateralopenings from said way having a rounded top; a joint member moving insaid way and forming a universal joint with the concave top of saidfirst-named member and decreasing in diameter downward; and a ropefastened to said joint member and extending through said perforation andbeing of less diameter than the perforation.

5. The combination with a rope and a welldrilling tool, of a universaljoint which has a limited lateral and longitudinal movement and connectsthe rope with the tool.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, California,this 18th day of March, 1902.

EDWARD DOUBLE. FRANK J. KARTEN.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND.

